As the partial government shutdown over border wall funding stretched into a 12th day, Rep. Matt Gaetz wondered who Democrats are negotiating on behalf of -- the American people or illegal immigrants.

On "America's Newsroom" Wednesday, Gaetz (R-Fla.) said President Trump is willing to negotiate and compromise on some aspects of his long-promised border wall, such as the total amount of funding and the type of physical barrier.

"What the president's not willing to compromise on are the outcomes,” Gaetz said "What he's not going to compromise on is the safety of the American family or the protection of the American economy."

"I know who the president is negotiating for," Gaetz continued. "I don't really know who Democrats are negotiating for. I mean, are they really negotiating for illegal immigrants?"

He said there should be room for compromise, pointing to a framework pushed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

Graham has said the Senate won't pass legislation to end the partial government shutdown without border security funding, so he has suggested providing some degree of legal status to undocumented immigrants with Temporary Protected Status or currently protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, in exchange for $5 billion in funding for a physical barrier at the border and additional border security enhancements.

"I do think there is room here to do the wall, do border security, and then provide some temporary sense of stability for DACA recipients, for those who are here as a consequence of the TPS program," Gaetz said. "And I don't know what Democrats find objectionable about that."

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California said that "people have suffered enough" because of President Trump and that a real leader would re-open the part of the government that has been shuttered since December.